LYNDHURST, Ohio — Thursday night, Chef Eric Rogers is celebrating a decade of serving food and knowledge to the community.
Rogers is one of three co-owners of Black Box Fix in Legacy Village in Lyndhurst, known for its sandwiches, soups, and dishes with a Creole and Cajun twist. The black-owned business got its start in 2015.
From 5 to 9 p.m., there’s an anniversary party featuring live music from a DJ, prizes, gift card giveaways to other black-owned businesses, and free food.
The restaurant is located at 25359 Cedar Rd.
I asked Rogers why it was important to celebrate a decade of business with a community celebration.
“I think it goes back to my upbringing. My grandparents always took care of the neighborhood,” Rogers said. “They would feed people for free… take care of the less fortunate. My grandmother always said, ‘Take care of the youth and take care of seniors.’ So that's what I've made a passion of doing.”
Rogers once worked as a hospital finance manager but grew up in restaurants watching his grandparents cook.
“So my passion was always being in the kitchen, watching her (grandmother) pick green beans, collard greens, and things of that nature. I didn't know at the time, when I was younger, that was going to be my passion,” Rogers said.
He said God called him to open a restaurant along with his wife, Latoya. LaRese Purnell is the third business owner.
“We stand on giving back to the community, because without them, we wouldn't be here,” Rogers said. “So we always give back. We always look out for others. And we always just try to do good with integrity in what we do.”
According to the National Restaurant Association, 9 in 10 restaurants are small businesses. The organization states about 9% of restaurants are Black or African American owned.
Rogers said competition is stiff, and staying in business requires constant learning and being willing to pivot.
“And one thing about Black Box Fix, you can always see something different. We change our menu three times a year,” Rogers said. “If something doesn't sell, we make sure we evolve and pivot and just bring something new and fresh.”
During the COVID pandemic, the restaurant fed seniors out of its own pocket and later worked with the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging to continue providing meals over the course of several years.
Rogers even created a foundation with a focus on mentoring youth and adults in the culinary business field.
“I've mentored over 100 chefs in the city. A lot of them went on to open their own restaurants and be in the culinary fields that they love,” Rogers said. “So, I think it's really just giving back to the people that have helped us, and taking care of our community is what makes us really unique as a black-owned restaurant.”
